Somadina Arrives
566 Words
Dawn crept slowly over Amazu Kingdom, painting the sky in soft shades of pink and gold. But the light could not erase the memory of the night before. Smoke still hung in the air like a stubborn spirit. Ashes from destroyed huts drifted across the pathways. Children clung to their mothers. Warriors moved silently, repairing fences and covering the black dust where shadow creatures had fallen.
The kingdom had survived — but barely.
Near the river, Zuri sat alone on a smooth stone. Her shoulders slumped with exhaustion. Her hands trembled as she touched the bracelet on her wrist. The once-bright glow had faded to a soft amber, pulsing weakly like a tired heartbeat.
“Why did the power leave me?” she whispered.
“Was it only for last night?”
She closed her eyes, trying to feel the spark again… but there was only silence.
Then—
Thump… thump… thump…
Hoofbeats echoed down the long dirt road leading into the kingdom.
The villagers turned to look.
A figure approached on a tall white horse, moving with purpose and speed. As he reached the edge of the market square, the rising sun glinted off the metal tip of his spear.
He looked strong. Focused. Dangerous.
It was Somadina — the young warrior from the Eagle Mountains.
His skin carried marks of past battles. His necklace of lion teeth rattled softly as he dismounted. His eyes scanned the kingdom with sharpness, taking in the broken huts, the scorched earth, and the frightened faces of the villagers.
He could smell danger in the air.
He could feel the darkness still lingering.
Somadina stepped forward, guided by instinct — and prophecy.
When he saw Zuri sitting by the river, something in him shifted. She looked small, fragile, unsure… yet a quiet light surrounded her.
He walked toward her.
Zuri looked up and gasped softly. She had never seen anyone like him before — a warrior who moved like the wind but carried a calmness as deep as the mountains.
Somadina stopped a few steps away.
“You,” he said with certainty, “are the Sun-Blessed.”
Zuri blinked, surprised. “How… how do you know who I am?”
Somadina shook his head gently.
“I don’t know your name,” he said. “I don’t need to. My father told me that when the moon bleeds red, a child of light will awaken. He told me to find her… and protect her.”
Zuri lowered her gaze, staring at the faintly glowing bracelet.
“I don’t feel like someone important,” she whispered. “I don’t feel brave. I’m just… me.”
Somadina stepped closer.
Without hesitation, he knelt before her, placing his spear on the ground.
The villagers watched in awe.
“I wasn’t sent to judge your strength,” he said quietly.
“I was sent to stand by it.”
Zuri’s breath caught in her throat.
Somadina continued:
“Whether you are afraid or unsure does not matter. Destiny has chosen you. And from this moment on, you will not face it alone.”
For the first time since the red moon appeared…
For the first time since the shadow creatures attacked…
Zuri’s heart felt lighter.
She was no longer just a frightened girl with a strange bracelet.
She had an ally.
A protector.
A friend.
And together, their journey was only beginning.
- Writer
